As I saw dozens of photos on Facebook of my friends eating out with their mothers, I wondered if Mother’s Day is more about gift-giving and dining-out than actually recognizing what a mother does for her child. In the Unites States, Mother’s Day is one of the most commercially successful celebrations -- cakes, flowers, greeting cards and expensive gifts, such as jewelry worth billions of dollars are spent around this occasion.
Anna Jarvis, the West Virginian woman who founded Mother’s Day in the U.S.A., fought against the commercialization of this day until her death. She spent her money and time, speaking and working against what businesses have turned Mother’s Day into. In a survey carried out by the National Retail Federation (NRF) before this year’s Mother’s Day, it was found that the Americans were expected to spend some $20.7 billion around this occasion! Although similar data for Bangladesh are not available but if we look around us, we will see that most spent a couple of thousand takas or more on flowers, cakes, greeting cards and other gifts. Many have taken their mothers out for lunch or dinner.
In the western countries, mothers are not often taken care of the way they should be -- many children cannot even make the time to call their moms weekly. But on every Mother’s Day, these very children buy flowers, chocolates, gifts or cakes for the women who gave birth to them and raised them. But as a mother, I find this whole concept of expensive gift-giving quite superficial.
I think mothers and motherhood can and should be celebrated every day, every moment. I, as a mother, do not expect my child to take me out for lunch or give me a diamond pendant on Mother’s Day. Well, if he or she makes something with his or her own hands, I would love to have it though. What I expect from my child is after she becomes an adult, she will call me daily (even it is for two minutes), sit by my bedside when I will be old and ill, and set aside some time to talk with me and hug me on days I will be down. How many mothers really care for a bouquet of red roses or a greeting card or a meal at a fancy restaurant when their children are too busy to call them once a week or meet them twice a year?
I think mothers and motherhood can and should be celebrated every day, every moment. I, as a mother, do not expect my child to take me out for lunch or give me a diamond pendant on Mother’s Day. Well, if he or she makes something with his or her own hands, I would love to have it though. What I expect from my child is after she becomes an adult, she will call me daily (even it is for two minutes), sit by my bedside when I will be old and ill, and set aside some time to talk with me and hug me on days I will be down. How many mothers really care for a bouquet of red roses or a greeting card or a meal at a fancy restaurant when their children are too busy to call them once a week or meet them twice a year?
Businesses around the world are taking advantage of a very fine emotion of ours by profiting from making and selling goods and services targeted at the mothers. We should love, honor and recognize our mothers every day, not just on the second Sunday of May. "Don't wait for the Mother’s Day to give your mom flowers, cakes, love and hugs because she deserves to be loved and shown appreciation every single day of the year."
By Wara Karim
Date: May 13, 2013
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